Passing Through
by FaithDaria
Summary: An accident sends a Bat pinwheeling through the multiverse.
1. Equilibrium

Series Title: Passing Through

Story Title: Equilibrium [The Batman, season 2]

Author: FaithDaria

Rating: Teen

Summary: A Bat is sent pinballing through the multiverse.

Genre: Crossover (Batman Beyond/The Batman)

Batman was crouched on a rooftop across from Arkham Asylum, studying the building through a set of compact binoculars. "Everything's quiet," he said grimly.

"Wouldn't that be a good thing, sir?"

"It would, if I hadn't had the feeling that I'm being watched all evening. Trouble at Arkham would have given me something I could actually work with."

"If it makes you feel any better, you are being watched." Batman spun around, batarang in hand, to face the speaker. The young man in question was standing a few yards away, his body language relaxed and a bit of a smirk on his face.

Batman rose to his full height but didn't move closer. He watched his unwanted companion warily. No one should be able to sneak up on him like that. How had this teenager done it? The boy offered no further conversation, apparently content to wait for Batman to make the next move.

"Sir?" Alfred's concerned voice came over the Batwave. "Has something happened?"

He didn't dare answer with the kid standing right there. It wouldn't do for people to realize that the Batman had at least one accomplice, two if you counted his partnership with Detective Yin. So he stood there, stoic and silent, and watched as the boy's smile grew. Eventually his latest complication broke the standoff. "How about this? I'll meet you at the diner down the street in thirty minutes and answer all your questions. All you have to do is buy me a cup of coffee, Mr. Wayne."

Batman didn't outwardly react, but Bruce Wayne reeled back in shock. His identity had never been compromised before, though some had gotten close. His instinct said to deny the charge, but the person behind it was already at the door that lead back into the building.

"Sir?"

"Suggestions, Alfred?"

"I would do as he says, Master Bruce. If you like, I'll don cape and cowl in case you need Batman to appear in the same place as Bruce Wayne."

"Let's hope that won't be necessary."

888

Bruce walked into the diner a few minutes early. There was no press of reporters outside, which he took as a good sign. His guest was already waiting in a booth with a wide margin of unoccupied tables surrounding it, his expression almost wistful as he watched the people walk by outside. "It's nice here," the young man said when Bruce slid in across from him. "Where I come from, no one would walk around at street level unless they were looking for trouble, not even in broad daylight."

"Are you going to tell me how you know what you know?"

The boy rolled his eyes and turned to face Bruce. "Patience is a virtue. Mind if I get a cheeseburger to go along with that cup of coffee?"

Bruce did mind a little, but he gave a nod of assent and waved the waitress over. As the still-unnamed man gave his order, the vigilante studied him quickly, cataloging his observations with precision while he fixed his coffee. His unwanted companion was lean and wiry, and Bruce already knew from experience that he was quick as well. His hair was black and hung across his eyes and down to his collar, but it was clean and combed, and his clothing was worn but clean.

The boy turned back to face Bruce, a smile on his face and laughter in his pale blue eyes. "Inspection over? Threat assessment complete?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Whatever you say." He leaned across the table, hand outstretched. "Terry McGinnis."

"Nice to finally get a name." Bruce took a sip of his coffee. "You already know mine, along with some other things I'd like to know about."

Terry dumped sugar and creamer into his cup before testing it cautiously. "Honestly? I'm not sure you're going to believe me."

"Try me."

"All right." Terry wrapped his long-fingered hands around his cup. "I'm from a future alternate reality, and in that future alternate reality I'm the new Bat." He smirked a little and brushed the hair back from his eyes. "But the original is always Bruce Wayne, no matter what reality you're in."

Bruce sat back and thought about this for a moment. "It's possible," he allowed. "Go on."

A flicker of surprise passed across the younger man's face, gone almost before Bruce could register it, and he shrugged and went on. "Let's just say it's a bad idea to get between a mad scientist, a Green Lantern, and a magic handler. I've been traveling from reality to reality in both directions on the timeline for eight months trying to get home."

"And I'm in every reality?"

"All the ones I've been to. But that might just mean that I'm skipping over the ones where Bruce Wayne doesn't exist." He made a very slight face. "Magic can be like that sometimes."

"Right." Bruce looked at him with a little skepticism. He'd believe in magic when he saw it. "So you just thought you'd introduce yourself and see if you could get a cheeseburger out of the deal?"

"I don't always. Some versions of you can be a little intense. And some are just a little too strange." Terry gave a slight shudder and fell silent while the waitress delivered his food with a flirtatious smile for both of them. He picked up the sandwich and took a bite, and his shoulders relaxed slightly as he chewed and swallowed. Bruce kept his expression carefully neutral, but he wondered when the boy had last eaten. Terry ate the burger in several quick bites, as if he were afraid that it would be taken away from him if he set it down. Then he pushed aside the plate and picked up his coffee. "The truth is, out of every version I've seen you seem to be the most content in both halves of your life. The mission still matters, but it doesn't own you. I admire that."

Bruce thought about that while his coffee grew cold and Terry drank a second cup in silence. "So what happens next?"

"There should be a portal opening up soon. I'll try my luck on the next reality. It seems like I'm getting closer every time I go through, although that might just be wishful thinking." He drained his cup and stood up, a battered backpack at his side. "Hope everything goes well for you, Bruce."

Bruce turned and watched him walk out of the diner, then turned back to the window. Terry walked past with his hands in his pockets and never looked back.


	2. Contrary

Series Title: Passing Through

Story Title: Contrary

Author: FaithDaria

Rating: Teen

Summary: A Bat is sent pinballing through the multiverse.

Genre: Crossover (Batman Beyond/60's Batman)

Terry watched as Batman cheerfully blocked the clumsy blows of the Joker's henchmen. Robin was equally jovial beside him, and together they made quick work of the cheap labor and bounded across the room to Joker. "Give it up, Joker," Batman demanded, still smiling. "Commissioner Gordon has this place surrounded." The villain surrendered meekly, and a good-natured policeman cuffed him and led him out.

Terry was running out of words for cheerful by the time the portal opened. "The next one better be a little less happy," he grumbled as he walked through. "This was like living the musical."


	3. Rising

This version of Gotham was rougher than what he was used to, rougher even than the versions of his own past Gotham City should be, and Terry frowned as he stepped out of the alley and headed down the street. A quick glance at a discarded newspaper showed that he was more than thirty years out of date and instincts told him that it wasn't simple time travel. Terry had noticed that the more he traveled, the easier it was to tell when his new destination was further from home. He'd still find a library and research, try to catalogue the differences for his own peace of mind and curiosity, but when a portal showed up he'd be moving on.

On the surface it seemed like this Gotham was doing well. The crime stats were way down, the streets were fairly clean, and even in the bad parts of town (sadly consistent from one Gotham to another) things were doing relatively well. On paper, things were great here.

Terry knew better. He didn't have Bruce's training as a detective, mostly counting on instinct and intuition with an assist from the Old Man when he could get it, but things were not settled in this Gotham. He could feel it in the air when he walked through the Narrows. There was resentment here, simmering under the façade of compliance, and it wouldn't take much to make it all explode.

Batman had been conspicuous in his absence over the past few years, fading away after the death of Harvey Dent and the ridiculous murder charge. It made Terry angry, how easily they'd all been swayed by that little tidbit. If Batman had wanted to murder Harvey Dent no one would have ever suspected him. The worst part was that Gotham still needed Batman, even if no one realized it. It was the one constant truth across all the dimensions. Gotham, and the world, would always need the Dark Knight. Without that balance, you ended up with this messed-up kettle of resentment and anger.

He could have put on the suit and given Gotham Batman, if only for a short time. Terry seriously considered it, in fact, if only to make things a little more settled. Anything he did now would only delay the inevitable boiling over if he couldn't follow through, though. This Gotham wasn't his responsibility.

With that in mind, he did put in a visit to Wayne Manor. He didn't bother trying to go through the main door and Alfred, though at least a little bit of him wanted to have the opportunity to sit down and talk with the man. Alfred was just as instrumental in creating Batman as Bruce, in his own way, and it was clear that the old man missed him still. He was also the kind of man who would never have allowed Terry past him if Bruce was really as secluded as they said. Fortunately, Terry had a pretty good guess at how to get in the back way.

Motion sensors were pointless in the Cave, since the bats would set them off at twilight and any time they were disturbed, but there were any number of traps set up to catch the unwary and unprepared. Terry disarmed them one by one, moving slowly and methodically through the Cave. This version of the suit was nothing special compared to his own, as it was pretty much just repurposed body armor, but the vehicles were worth a second look. His own Batmobile was by far his favorite vehicle, but there was something to be said for durability and maneuverability combined.

There was an elevator that probably went up into the mansion, but it was old and probably noisy as hell. Terry settled for climbing up the walls of the elevator shaft and opening up the secret passageway door.

Being greeted with an arrow that skimmed just past his face before hitting the wall behind him was momentarily startling, but he'd gotten worse from the old man when Bruce had thought he needed it and he turned with a smirk.

The man in question was standing in the doorway, a cane in one hand as he set the recurve bow to the side. It was a painfully familiar scene and he lost the smirk immediately, unable to hold it when this version of Wayne looked so much like the one he'd come to know. "I'm calling the police," the man said.

"That sounds like a great idea," Terry replied, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the corner of the piano. "I'll be sure to show them all exactly how I got in here in the first place."

Wayne didn't move, though his eyes flicked past Terry to the wall behind him. "What do you want?" he asked, sounding tired.

"Just to talk."

"You could have called ahead."

"Pretty sure you haven't been taking visitors in a few years. Besides, this is mostly a courtesy call. I don't think you've been out on the streets of Gotham in a while. Things are changing."

"Things are safer. The police have taken crime off of the streets."

"They've driven it off the streets. Its not the same thing, and you know it. The smart criminals are still out there, hiding and waiting and planning. Things are coming to a boil out there and someday soon the police won't be able to handle it, especially once the truth comes out about Harvey Dent." Terry shook his head. "That lie is going to cost the city."

"It's not a lie."

"If Batman had wanted Harvey Dent dead, no one would have ever known he was involved. It wouldn't have even been considered a murder, Bruce. I think we both know that much. You've always been too smart for that."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because I know you, Bruce. Better than anyone except maybe Alfred. And I know you would never kill someone of your own free will. It's one of the few things I know I can depend on. You will never murder someone, and Gotham City will always need Batman. You might want to start preparing."


End file.
